Well Tim Cook sure does love China. Not only is he optimistic about Apple’s business prospects in the country, he also happens to be a big fan of the country and the culture, having visited there over 20 times over the years.

In a wide-ranging interview with Sina Technology, Cook opened up about all things China.

As tends to be the case with any interview involving an Apple executive, a question regarding Apple’s future products was raised, only to be skillfully danced around by Cook.

“I cannot talk about the current product roadmap but can reveal that I am very excited about the products we have in research and development. At Apple, innovation is never scarce.”

As for China itself, Cook had this to say:

I’ve come at least 20 times, and I remember the first time was in 1996, when I not at Apple. Over the years, I have witnessed the tremendous changes in China, a country that has a huge dynamic. I love Chinese culture and have very deep feelings, my sister-in-law is Chinese.

Cook also explained that Apple is working hard behind the scenes to speed up the approval process that often results in new Apple products hitting the Chinese market later than in other countries.

Cook also expounded on Apple’s issues with respect to employee working conditions, explaining that the company has very strict vendor standards and has worked hard to raise workers’ wages and improve the working environment as well.